Basket-ball back stop



Aug. 5, 19245 1,504,166 A. E. THORNLEY BASKET BALL BACK STOP Filed July28. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l o o a 4 Aug. 5, 1924. Y 1,504,166

A. E. THORNLEY BASKET BALL BACK STOP Filed July 28. 1923 2 Sheets-SheetB Elfi'it a 0' o .9 0

7 17 i r 0 Z6 i o o 1 526 M Z6 2 l 74 22 Quorum Patented Aug. 5, 1924.

llNlTED STATES 1,594,16t rarest errata.

ALBERT E. THORNLEY, F PAWTUCKET, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOH TO NAB/RA-GA'NSETT MACHINE COMPANY, OF PAWTUCKET, R-HODE ISLAND.

BASKET-BALL BACK STOP.

Application filed July 28, 192-3.

To (ZZZ en/mm it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT E. THORNLEY,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Pawtucket, in the county ofProvidence and State of Rhode Island, have invented new and usefulImprovements in- Basket-Ball Back Stops, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in basketball back stops such as are commonly employed in gymnasiums and theprimary object of the invention is to provide a device of this kindwhich is not only portable but which also is collapsible to permit ofmovement and storage beneath the gallery or other convenient andsuitable place in the gymnasium.

A further object of the invention is to provide a back stop which iscapable of being easily and quickly collapsed as well as extended intooperative position, and which also eliminates the use of screws, gears,cranks and the like in collapsing and extension of the structure.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a collapsible backstop which utilizes the inclined-plane principle and one which also isof simple, economical and compact assemblage, embodying a minimum of noparts.

Other and still further objects will later appear and be manifested inthe course of the following description.

In the drawings Figure 1, is a perspective invention showing the partsposition.

Figure 2, is a similar view parts in collapsed position, and

Figure 3, is a detail view of the latch.

In proceeding in accordance with the present invention a base frame isemployed which includes side rails 1, having brackets 2 secured to theends thereof, the brackets 2 being connected by end rods 3, the wholeforming a horizontal structure. The brackets 2 afford mountings forcasters 4 so as to enable the entire device to be easily moved from oneplace to another.

A pair of vertical front standards or posts 5 are carried by thehorizontal portion of the base frame and are braced by a pair ofrearwardly and downwardly inclined trackforming bars 6. The posts 5 arebraced and connected by a cross-rod 7, while the view of the in extendedshowing the Serial N0. GMAIB.

bars 6 are similarly braced andconnected by a cross-rod 8.

The back stop proper or board 9 has brackets 10 connected to a cross-rod11 secured to the upper ends of the inclined bars 12 of a sliding frame.The bars 12 slide on the upper faces of the bars 6 of the base frame andare connected and braced by cross-rods 13 and 14 secured at their endsto the bars 12.

An upper and a lower pair of guides 15 and 16 are secured to theinclined bars 6 of the base frame and are provided with antifrictionrollers 17 which permit of easy sliding of the sliding frame on the baseframe.

The inclined bars 6 of the base frame are further provided with pulleys18 over which wire cables or ropes 19 are trained, the cables havingweights 20 on one end and having their opposite ends connected to thecrossrod 14 of the sliding frame. The cross-rod 11, at the upper end ofthe sliding frame is connected to a downwardly inclined bar 21 securedto the board 9.

For the purpose of holding the sliding frame and the back stop proper ineither collapsed or extended position, a pair of latches 22, shown indetail in Figure 3 are employed the latches embodying housings 23 withsliding bars 24 having handles 25, the bars engaging in keepers 26carried by the bars 6 of the base frame.

Fro-m the foregoing it will be apparent that in order to extend orcollapse the structure it is merely necessary to release the latches andto then slide the movable frame along the tracks 6, which may be easilyeffected by the operator grasping the crossrod 14, the movement of thesliding frame being along an inclined plane which enables same to beeasily moved and with the expenditure of comparatively slight force orexertion.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. In a basket ball back stop, a base framelnving a horizontal portion provided with casters and having verticalfront posts and inclined rear bars connected to the vertical posts andto the horizontal portion, a back stop board, a sliding frame carryingsaid board and including inclined bars slidable on the inclined bars ofthe base frame,

guides carried by the inclined bars of the base frame and engaging theinclined bars of the sliding frame, pulleys carried by the inclined barsof the base frame, cables having weights connected to the inclined barsof the sliding frame and trained over the pulleys, and means to latchthe sliding frame vin extended and collapsed positions.

2. In a basket ball back stop, a base frame having inclined guides, amovable frame having a back stop board and having inclined partsengaging said inclined guides, and Weighted cables connected to themovable frame and to the base frame to counterbalance the movable frame.

3. In a basket ball back stop, a base frame having inclined guides, amovable frame having a back st-op board and having inclined partsengaging said inclined guides,

- and counterbalancing means for the sliding iclined parts engaging saidinclined guides,

counter-balancing means for thesliding frame, and means to latch thesliding frame in both extended and collapsed positions.

5. In a basket ball back stop, a portable base frame having inclinedguides, and a.

movable frame having a back stop board and slidable on said guides.

6. In a basket ball back stop, a portable base frame having inclinedguides, a frame having a back stop board slidable on the guides, andcounter-balancing means for the slidable frame. 7 V

7. In a basket ballback stop, a portable base frame, a frame having aback stop board slidably carried by the base frame, and counterbalancingmeans for the'sliding frame.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence 0 two subscribing Witnesses.

ALBERT E. THORNLEY. Witnesses S. N. BARRY, J. A. MILLER.

